Teaching and learning has changed since Oak Park District 97 first partnered with LearnPlatform by Instructure in 2018. At that time, they were focused on providing visibility to the tools used in the district and starting to explore which tools were actually moving the needle. Since then the use of edtech has exploded (the average district accessed over 1,400 tools per month during the 2021-2022 school year), and the district’s goals have evolved to meet current needs. Recently, we caught up with Michael Arensdorff, Oak Park’s Senior Director of Technology, to get an update on how they are using LearnPlatform to support evidence-based implementation and continuous edtech evaluation.
Initially, Arensdorff and his team focused on questions like “Are students and teachers using a particular product at the level of we expected?” and “How are these tools being used?”. They started with building a district product library and conducting initial rapid-cycle evaluations (RCEs) focused on product usage. Their goal was to identify under-utilized resources and opportunities to improve implementation processes.
“Those questions have been helpful to change conversations on the front end, which also help change the conversation as we go through analyses and the impact of different tools. Getting that data provides more questions of what we are looking for.”
Michael Arensdorff, Senior Director of Technology
Over time, Arensdorff and his staff have built closer working relationships with the LearnPlatform research team. They have partnered with LearnPlatform researchers to build a logic model and guiding questions that form the backbone of the district’s edtech ecosystem and product vetting process. They have also evolved their RCE approach to look beyond usage data and focus instead on effectiveness.
“Having the research, experts and space to continue to have those conversations with administrators with us has been helpful.” - Michael Arensdorff
The experience of the team at Oak Park District 97 demonstrates that edtech evaluation is an ongoing process, and one that becomes easier and more useful as districts build their own research fluency and evidence base. Through time, thoughtful questioning and collaboration with the LearnPlatform research team, the district has been able to mature their edtech ecosystem to keep pace with the rapid pace of change in teaching and learning.
Read the full updated case study to find out more about how the Oak Park District 97 Tech Team partnered with LearnPlatform by Instructure to broaden its use of evidence-based edtech evaluation.
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